In 1978, Chris Farmer and Peta Frampton, a young British couple on a backpacking adventure, disappeared in Central America.
Chris, 25, was a newly qualified doctor, while Peta, 24, was a lawyer, both from Manchester. They chartered a boat with Silas Duane Boston, who turned out to be a serial killer.
Boston had a dark past, having previously shot his wife, Mary Lou, after she expressed a desire for divorce.
He fled rape charges in California and moved to Belize with his two sons, where he started a tour-guide business. In 1978, he welcomed Chris and Peta on board his boat for a two-week sailing trip.
Boston’s son, Vince, revealed that his father forced him and his brother to stay silent about what they witnessed. The bodies of Chris and Peta were eventually found off the coast of Guatemala tied to engine parts, 200 meters from shore.
The murders remained unsolved for almost four decades until they were dramatized in the Prime Video series, Dead in the Water. Vince shared how his father intimidated him into silence and confessed to dozens more murders.
The chilling details of the couple’s last days on the boat were revealed, highlighting the abuse they endured at the hands of Boston. Despite their efforts to intervene and escape, the couple met a tragic end.
The harrowing story of Chris Farmer and Peta Frampton serves as a reminder of the dangers lurking in unexpected places, and the importance of speaking out against wrongdoing.
